| AnswerNote: Kenaf |
Kenaf is a valuable fiber from an East Indian hibiscus plant which is now widespread in cultivation, and used especially for its cordage, canvas and sacking. It is primarily grown in India and Pakistan but also grows in Africa, South East Asia, Indonesia, Russia, Mexico, the Philippines, Cuba and the United States.
Last updated: June 15, 2004.
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| Sci-Tech Dictionary: kenaf |
(agriculture) Hibiscus cannabinus. An annual, short-day, herbaceous plant of the Malvaceae family that is cultivated for its stem fibers. Kenaf is sometimes used to refer to Hibiscus sabdariffa var. altissima.
| Sci-Tech Encyclopedia: Kenaf |
An annual, short-day, herbaceous plant (Hibiscus cannabinus) of the Malvaceae family, cultivated for its stem fibers. The genus Hibiscus has approximately 200 species, of which one, roselle (H. sabdariffa var. altissima), also is occasionally referred to as kenaf.
Kenaf usually grows up to 15 ft (5 m) in height, and is cylindrical and either branched or unbranched. The stem is composed of two fibers, bast and core. The bast fibers, located in the bark, are long compared to the core fibers, produced in the stem interior. The leaves either are entirely heart shaped or display radiating lobes. Flowers are typically yellow with deep red centers. Wild forms of kenaf are found in east and central Africa, where for several centuries kenaf has been used for both fiber and food. Selection and breeding have developed varieties with higher fiber yields, improved disease resistance, and reduced branching.
Kenaf is grown commercially for fiber production in many areas of the world, with the largest producer being the People's Republic of China. In the United States, kenaf production is located in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and California. Kenaf is used in the manufacturing of various paper and pulp products, and as poultry litter, potting soil amendments, chemical- and oil-spill absorbents, animal and horse bedding, and packing materials. Potential uses include the manufacturing of filters, particle boards, and insulation boards. Kenaf leaves, which contain 20–30% crude protein, also may have potential as a livestock feed source.
Kenaf can adapt to a wide range of climates and soils. However, because it cannot tolerate frost, planting should not occur at temperatures below 32°F (0°C). Optimum yields are generally obtained on well-drained soils with fertility levels to meet the nutritional requirements. Most varieties of kenaf are photoperiod sensitive, and vegetative growth increases until the daylight period becomes less than 12 h 30 min. Flowering is then initiated and the vegetative growth rate declines. Early planting maximizes yields by increasing the growing season. Kenaf is propagated by seed and must be replanted annually. Dense plant populations generally produce greater total and bast fiber yields, reduce weed populations, and improve harvesting efficiency.
| WordNet: kenaf |
The noun has 2 meanings:
Meaning #1:
fiber from an East Indian plant Hibiscus cannabinus
Synonym: deccan hemp
Meaning #2:
valuable fiber plant of East Indies now widespread in cultivation
Synonyms: kanaf, deccan hemp, bimli, bimli hemp, Indian hemp, Bombay hemp, Hibiscus cannabinus
| Wikipedia: Kenaf |
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It has been suggested that Gongura be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) |
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| Hibiscus cannabinus L. |
Kenaf [Etymology: Persian],[1] Hibiscus cannabinus, is a plant in the Malvaceae family. Hibiscus cannabinus is in the genus Hibiscus and is probably native to southern Asia, though its exact natural origin is unknown. The name also applies to the fibre obtained from this plant. Kenaf is one of the allied fibres of jute and shows similar characteristics. Other names include Bimli, Ambary, Ambari Hemp, Deccan Hemp, and Bimlipatum Jute.
It is an annual or biennial herbaceous plant (rarely a short-lived perennial) growing to 1.5-3.5 m tall with a woody base. The stems are 1–2 cm diameter, often but not always branched. The leaves are 10–15 cm long, variable in shape, with leaves near the base of the stems being deeply lobed with 3-7 lobes, while leaves near the top of the stem are shallowly lobed or unlobed lanceolate. The flowers are 8–15 cm diameter, white, yellow, or purple; when white or yellow, the centre is still dark purple. The fruit is a capsule 2 cm diameter, containing several seeds.
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Kenaf is cultivated for its fibre in India, Bangladesh, United States of America, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Viet Nam, Thailand, parts of Africa, and to a small extent in southeast Europe. The stems produce two types of fibre, a coarser fibre in the outer layer (bast fibre), and a finer fibre in the core. It matures in 100 to 200 days. Kenaf was grown in Egypt over 3000 years ago. The kenaf leaves were consumed in human and animal diets, the bast fiber was used for bags, cordage, and the sails for Egyptian boats. This crop was not introduced into southern Europe until the early 1900s. Today, principal farming areas are China, India, and in many other countries including the following: Seed farms - Texas, USA and Tamaulipas, Mexico; North Carolina, USA , Senegal to name a few.
The main uses of kenaf fiber have been rope, twine, coarse cloth (similar to that made from jute), and paper. In California, Texas and Louisiana, 3,200 acres (13 km²) of kenaf were grown in 1992, most of which was used for animal bedding and feed.
Uses of kenaf fibre include engineered wood, insulation, and clothing-grade cloth. Panasonic has set up a plant in Malaysia to manufacture kenaf fibre boards and export them to Japan, oil and liquid absorbent material, soil-less potting mixes, animal bedding, packing material, cut bast fiber for blending with resins for plastic composites, as a drilling fluid loss preventative for oil drilling muds, for a seeded hydromulch for erosion control and various types of erosion and environmental mats, such as seeded grass mats for instant lawns and moldable mats for manufactured parts and containers.
Kenaf seeds yield a vegetable oil that is edible with no toxins. The kenaf seed oil is also used for cosmetics , industrial lubricants and for biofuel production. Kenaf oil is high in omega polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) which are now known to help in keeping humans healthy. Kenaf seed oil contains a high percentage of linoleic acid (Omega-6) a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). Linoleic acid (C18:2) is the dominant PUFA, followed by oleic acid (C18:1). Alpha-linolenic acid (C18:3) is present in 2 to 4 percent. The PUFAs are essential fatty acids for normal growth and health. Furthermore, they are important for reducing cholesterol and heart diseases.
Kenaf Seed oil is 20.4% of the total seed weight which is similar to cotton seed.
Kenaf Edible Seed Oil Contains:
Palmitic acid: 19.1%
Oleic acid: 28.0% (Omega-9)
Linoleic acid: 45% (Omega-6)
Stearic acid: 3.0%
Alpha-linolenic acid: 3% (Omega-3)
The use of Kenaf in paper production offers various environmental advantages over producing paper from trees. In 1960, the USDA surveyed more than 500 plants and selected kenaf as the most promising source of "tree-free" newsprint. In 1970, kenaf newsprint produced in International Paper Company's mill in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, was successfully used by six U.S. newspapers. Printing and writing paper made from the fibrous kenaf plant has been offered in the United States since 1992. Again in 1987, a Canadian mill produced 13 rolls of kenaf newsprint which were used by four U.S. newspapers to print experimental issues. They found that kenaf newsprint[2] made for stronger, brighter and cleaner pages than standard pine paper with less detriment to the environment. Due partly to kenaf fibers being naturally whiter than tree pulp, less bleaching is required to create a brighter sheet of paper. Hydrogen peroxide, an environmentally-safe bleaching agent that does not create dioxin, has been used with much success in the bleaching of kenaf.
Various reports suggest that the energy requirements for producing pulp from kenaf are about 20 percent less than those for wood pulp, mostly due to the lower lignin content of kenaf. Many of the facilities that now process Southern pine for paper use can be converted to accommodate kenaf.[citation needed]
An area of 1-acre (4,000 m2) of kenaf produces 5 to 8 tons of raw plant bast and core fiber in a single growing season. In contrast, 1-acre (4,000 m2) of forest (in the USA) produces approximately 1.5 to 3.5 tons of usable fiber per year. It is estimated that growing kenaf on 5,000 acres (20 km²) can produce enough pulp to supply a paper plant having a capacity of 200 tons per day. Over 20 years, 1-acre (4,000 m2) of farmland can produce 10 to 20 times the amount of fiber that 1-acre (4,000 m2) of Southern pine.[3]
As one of the world's important natural fibres, kenaf is covered by the International Year of Natural Fibres 2009.
According to Miyake and Suzuta (1937), there are more than 129 names for kenaf worldwide
Kenaf is considered a hardy plant that requires a minimum of fertilizers, pesticides and water in comparison to conventional row crops.[citation needed]
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